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Words from President Juan Manuel Santos at the launch event in Colombia of the "Amazonian Travels of Richard Evans Schultes"

Date:

Friday, November 11, 2016

Words from Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, delivered by Luis Gilberto Murillo, Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development, at a launch event for "The Amazonian Travels of Richard Evans Schultes", hosted by Banco de la Republica in Bogotá on November 10, 2016.

I want to send a very special greeting to Dr. Mark Plotkin and Liliana Madrigal, founders of the Amazon Conservation Team.

I do not want to miss the opportunity to celebrate this valuable contribution to building awareness of the natural and cultural wealth of our country.

Undoubtedly, the travels of Richard Evans Schultes represent a crucial moment in the study of the Colombian Amazon, and his work is a unique record that made the public aware for the first time of the immense diversity of a hitherto unknown territory.

Additionally, his dedicated botanical and anthropological work, marked by a deep respect for the communities, has been fundamental to the development of the scientific exploration, conservation of natural resources, and protection of the indigenous communities of the region.

And this initiative, the interactive map of their travels, is a very important tool that will serve to educate and raise awareness among the new generations regarding the need to care for a heritage that belongs to the whole world.

Thanks to his writings, his photographs, and especially to his students like Dr. Plotkin, today we can proudly say that the legacy of Richard Evans Schultes is more valid than ever.

The work of his life reminds us that the extraordinary wealth of our country also represents a huge responsibility in our efforts to preserve it. For this reason, among other measures that work toward the adoption of green growth, which is a cross-cutting axis of the National Development Plan, in 2013, we declared the expansion of the protected area of ​​Chiribiquete and reiterated the commitment of the government to the generation of a truly sustainable development model.

Only through our responsible use and our protection of these lands do we maintain the possibility of continuing to enjoy the wonderful places that Schultes studied and described for us.

Thank you very much for your efforts, and I invite you to continue to accompany us in building a new country, a more equitable, better educated country, a country that lives in peace and walks hand in hand in its commitment to the environment.

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